


It Started Out With A Kiss

by easilydistractedbyfanfic



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Cussing, F/M, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Smut, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-10-18 02:39:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17572718
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/easilydistractedbyfanfic/pseuds/easilydistractedbyfanfic
Summary: Sometimes the road to your soulmate doesn't go the way you'd imagined





	It Started Out With A Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fill for the January 2019 Round of the 100 Kink Meme. The original prompt was just "Murphy/Raven Soulmate AU", and I decided to take a shot at it. With a Kink Meme twist. If that's not your thing, consider yourself warned. But you know I love these two, so it's sweet smut.  
> Title blatantly stolen from The Killers, one of my favorite bands  
> _______________________________________________________________

“Damn it, Echo! Don’t just sit there - help me figure this out!” Raven Reyes throws a dirty look in her roommate’s direction as she paces back and forth in their tiny kitchen while Echo is half-sprawled across the table, looking barely alive.

 

“Ughhh, not so loud. My god, my head hurts...I’m so fucking hungover...what did we even _do_ last night,” Echo moans.

 

Stopping abruptly, Raven’s eyes narrow even further. “Don’t you even dare try to convince me you’ve forgotten everything. For the last twenty minutes, I’ve been telling you what happened last night, because unlike _some people_ , I actually remember what went down. And thank the hell I do, because last night I met my soulmate but I don’t know who it was!”

 

Echo sits up, eyes bleary, but making an effort to focus. Raven shoves a glass of water in her hands - for the third time, not that Echo thanks her for it. It was the truth that she remembered most of the details from the night before, but she wasn’t exactly feeling at her best, either. She hadn’t had as many drinks as Echo, but even so, the dreams that had flickered through her head would have sobered her up no matter how much alcohol was in her system.

 

“Please, Echo, c’mon! I really need you to listen to me right now, okay?”

 

Nodding, Echo straightens in the chair. “Do we have any bananas? That’ll help me out, and some headache pills,too. What’s this about your soulmate and not knowing them, how come you don’t know who it is?”

 

Dropping a banana and some aspirin in front of her friend, Raven slumps into an empty seat at the table. “You know how it works. And I am here to tell you that the whole fucking saga is actually true for once.”

 

Suddenly appearing perkier at this tidbit, Echo doesn’t finish chewing before talking with her mouth full, and her voice takes on a teasing note. “Ohhhh…. So last night you had some interesting dreams, didn’t you? It’s really true, that you have a sex dream about your soulmate after you kiss them?”

 

“It wasn’t just _a_ sex dream, Echo. It was _the_ sex dream! Like, the sex dream to end all sex dreams. It literally felt like it was happening for real, not that I was dreaming it, and when I woke up, my body was sore, my sheets were a wreck and let’s just say I had to change my underwear.”

 

“Nice,” Echo drawls, but then remembers Raven’s upset about it for some reason. “Well why is this bad? You’ve always said that if the whole soulmate kiss and have a sex dream thing was true, you wanna meet them before you’re too old and gross to have phenomenal sex. Are they not hot?”

 

Raven rubs her forehead in exasperation, feeling her own need for some aspirin coming on. “That’s not exactly how I put it, no, but sure, we’ll go with that version. I told you this earlier Echo, but I guess you weren’t sober enough. Last night… well, I mean, I didn’t intend for it to happen, and honestly, it really wasn’t my fault… but… last-night-I-kissed-two-guys.” The confession comes out in a rush, the words blurring together, but even so, Echo catches them and her eyes go wide.

 

“Oh my god! You’re not supposed to do that.” And even after all the ridiculous things that _she_ pulled last night, Echo manages to actually sound scandalized.

 

“Well, no shit! So you can see my dilemma finally, huh?”

 

All their lives, they’d been told the stories. That for most people, the way you’d know if you met your soulmate was that the night after you first kissed them, you’d have very lucid and realistic dreams about them. Then you would know for sure who you were meant to be with, and that it started out with a kiss. It wasn’t until they were teenagers that Raven and Echo had first heard that they might be _sex_ dreams, but now Raven could confirm that yes, they sure as hell could be. In tandem with the story was always the warning that you should be careful to never kiss more than one person in a twenty-four hour period, because you might get confused about who your soulmate was, which always ended in disaster in the stories. And Raven had always been so, so good at following that rule, even when she’d been in an experimental phase around age seventeen where she’d kissed way more guys - and a few girls, too - than she probably should’ve, trying to find the one that would be her match. She’d grown out of that habit, but this isn’t how she envisioned this momentous occasion finally happening.

 

“Wait, so, you didn’t actually dream of who it is? I don’t get it.”

 

“It was more like in the dream, I felt everything,” Raven explains, a shiver running through her at the memory. “Felt it like it was happening to me in that moment, but I wasn’t really _seeing_ the whole thing. I just knew the man touching me was my soulmate and that I wanted it to happen. I didn’t see his face, really, mostly glimpses of his body here and there. Overall it was more sensation than seeing. A _lot_ of sensation.”

 

“Wow, okay. So it’s a guy, and on the bright side it sounds like he knows what he’s doing, at least! Now how exactly did you manage to kiss two guys?”

 

Folding her arms across her chest and pushing back from the table, Raven stares steely-eyed at her best friend. “Oh, that part? That part is _your_ fault.”

 

*

 

Raven followed Echo into Arkadia, ready for a night out after a long week. They were meeting Echo’s boyfriend, Roan, at the new nightclub, and by the crowd that had already gathered, it was proving to be a popular location. Roan knew the owner, so they’d gotten a great booth, and they’d spent most of the night having fun, dancing and drinking. She’d danced casually with a few guys out on the light-up floor, but no one had really caught her eye until she’d volunteered to go to the bar for a few drink refills. The club was so busy that their waitress was taking too long, and Raven didn’t mind since it would give Echo some time alone with Roan. They never made her feel awkward as a third wheel, but she liked to give them some space. On the way to the bar, she admired the interior of the club and hoped that Roan was right about his owner friend probably coming around to the booth to say hello, because she wanted to compliment him on the choices he’d made about the decor, and maybe make the suggestion that he hire some more waitstaff.

 

As she joined the swarm of people for her chance to order, a guy with shaggy brown hair approached on her left, and she felt his gaze slide down her body, checking her out. He was good looking, and they’d flirted for the minutes it took to get their drinks, so Raven had invited him back to their booth, knowing her friends wouldn’t mind. They’d spent almost an hour together, and Raven had learned his name was Finn and that he’d grown up not far from her. She’d felt a pleasant hum of interest with his company, and he’d made her laugh more than a few times, so when he’d made a move on the dance floor, she’d kissed him back. It had been a normal first kiss - a little tentative, that momentary adjustment to a new pair of lips pressed against your own. But it was a good kiss, with potential, and Raven had been disappointed when some of Finn’s friends had come over to take him away. He’d explained that his friend was getting married, and they were out making rounds of different bars, so he had to go with them. She’d understood, and had smiled when Finn grabbed her phone and added his number. Echo had teased her, and it was clear her friend was getting tipsier, but Roan had laughed enthusiastically, dragging his girlfriend off to the dance floor to take advantage of her relaxed state.

 

She stayed at the table, absentmindedly people watching and sipping her drink, and not long after Roan and Echo had whirled away, Raven spotted the last person she wanted to run into that night. Ontari Verglas stood at the edge of the dance floor with a group of her bitchy friends. That girl was trouble on her own, but in a pack, it could be much worse. Echo and Ontari were absolute rivals, stemming from the fact that Ontari tried to steal Roan away every chance she could, and Echo didn’t take too kindly to it. The two had physically fought before, and while typically Echo was more than a match for Ontari, tonight Echo was in no state for a fight to break out. If Ontari or any of those other bitches managed to get Echo on her own while her defenses were down, things could go wrong really quickly. Without having a solid plan in place, but knowing she had to do something, Raven darted between the dancers in the jammed club, not pausing until she reached her target.

 

“Echo! Come to the bathroom with me,” Raven yelled, grabbing Echo’s hand. Roan had rolled his eyes good-naturedly and grumbled at Raven for ruining his fun, but he had let her lead Echo away. It was tough to navigate the crowd, but eventually Raven had gotten them both to the women’s room where it was a lot quieter. She’d checked the stalls to make sure none of the Ontari clique was inside, and then she’d told Echo who she’d seen.

 

“That bitch! If she thinks for one minute she’s going to get her hands on my boyfriend, I’m going to kick her ass!” It would have sounded a lot scarier coming from Echo if she hadn’t also been slumped against the counter, barely able to stand straight.

 

“You’re in no state to try anything tonight, and you know it! Listen, it’s already getting late and you’re trashed. Why don’t we just get a ride home from Roan and avoid any scenes. If Ontari sees you here tonight, something’s going to happen, and while you know I have your back, I like our odds a lot better when you aren’t seeing double.”

 

Reluctantly agreeing, Echo had let Raven guide her as they exited the bathroom, intent on going back to the booth and asking Roan to take them home. And they would have made it, if not for the group of drunk sorority girls traveling as a pack to the restroom. They bumped and jostled together, all the while laughing hysterically, and Raven lost sight of Echo in the chaos. She looked around frantically, but the lighting was dim and it was hard to see very far. Hoping that her friend had continued on to the table, she turned around to do the same when she came face to face with a few of Ontari’s minions.

 

“Hey! You’re that chick always hanging around with Echo! Where did she go? I know someone who’s looking for her!”

 

The taunting tone the woman used told Raven exactly what they planned on doing once they found Echo, and realizing she only had one way to escape, she leaned forward and gave the underling who spoke a hard shove, sending her stumbling back into the other two who were with her. Raven spun on her heel and raced back the way she came, towards the bathrooms at the back of the club. On her way, she passed a side door that was discreetly labeled for employees only, and jerked it open, hoping she’d done it before any of Ontari’s gang noticed her. It led to a shadowy hallway lined with long navy fabric, and she walked down it quickly, looking over her shoulder to see if the door opened behind her, muttering all the way.   


“Damn it, Echo is so going to owe me for this one!” Unexpectedly, she’d crashed into something - or rather, someone. While she’d been focused on the door, someone else had entered the corridor from one of the other openings. She would have fallen on the floor from the collision if not for two hands quickly grabbing her waist to steady her.

 

“Whoa, slow down,” the owner of the strong hands had admonished, and Raven’s head whipped up to look at him, irritated at being stopped when there were three crazy women on her tail.

 

The guy who had held her against his solid chest was taller than she was, with dark brown hair that was on the shorter side and stuck up in messy spikes along the top. If she had time to think about it, she would have thought him attractive, but her priority at the moment was clear. Anxiously, she had tried to step around him, demanding to know if there was another way out of the hallway.

 

He’d looked at her with concern then, hands not dropping from her waist, as she’d hurriedly explained, wanting him to cooperate with her to assist her escape. “I’ve probably got about a minute before three insane women intent on kicking my ass come through that door. Now will you help me get out of here or not?”

 

To his credit, he’d reacted swiftly, pushing her backwards against the draped fabric hanging along the wall, crowding even closer against her. “Trust me, and I’ll help you get out of this.” He’d no sooner said it when his hand slid up the back of her neck, his mouth slanted over hers, and all she could do was let out a muffled squeal in response, her own hands trapped between their bodies. She had a split second of absolute outrage, wondering who the hell this guy thought he was, manhandling her like that and kissing her without warning, but her anger melted away like it had never existed when his tongue caressed hers and his thumb skated a path from her earlobe to her jaw and trailed down her neck.

 

The door to the hallway burst open and the three women barged in. Raven had stiffened at the sound, her hands fisting in the button down shirt Mr. Fantastic Kisser was wearing, tugging him closer. He hadn’t seemed affected at their entrance, continuing to kiss her like he had all the time in the world. It had been nothing like a typical first kiss, nothing tentative about it at all. He’d kissed her like he had every right to, and Raven would have been shocked at her greedy response if she’d had a minute to consider it. At the time though, she’d been thinking about how grateful she was for the subdued lighting throughout the club, along with the way his body and the navy fabric at her back had concealed her features from view.

 

One of the women shouted down the hallway as they walked closer. “Hey! You see some chick come running down this way?”

 

Slowly tearing his lips from hers, he’d turned his head to stare towards the interruption, keeping Raven’s face averted and practically growling his response. “Does it look like I give a shit about anyone besides my girlfriend? Nobody’s supposed to be in here except employees, which you aren’t, so turn around and get the fuck out!”

 

Raven wished she could have seen their faces, Ontari’s crew, but she could only hear the quick opening of the door and the loud pulse of the music that came with it, and then it was muffled again. She was left with the pounding of her own heart as it beat out a nervous rhythm, and she unclenched her fingers from his shirt, smoothing out the wrinkles that she’d made. He hadn’t moved away from her, hadn’t even removed his hands, and the thumb still stroking casually over her collarbone was driving her crazy.

 

She’d half-heartedly pushed against his chest, not quite wanting to get away but not quite ready to commit to staying, either. He’d complied, stepping back to give her space, and she’d grinned to see that there was a smudge of her lipstick at the corner of his mouth. She’d rubbed it away gently and it had lessened the tension between them.

 

“Your plan was unorthodox, but it did work. Thanks for the rescue.”

 

“All part of Arkadia’s customer service package,” he’d smirked. “Maybe you’ll recommend us to your friends.”

 

“I’d give five stars for the willingness to go above and beyond, but this place loses some points for not having enough waitstaff,” she’d retorted, and he’d laughed easily and said something about it being an unusual night. He’d taken her arm and walked her to an open doorway further down the hall, and told her if she went through, it would lead her out right next to the main bar. They’d parted just like that, but Raven had been positive he’d eyed her ass as she walked away, and it had put a little extra spring into her step because of it.

 

*

 

“So, I came out by the bar, and that’s when I spotted you and Roan near the entrance. He brought us home and now here we are.” Raven finished her tale, getting up to refill Echo’s water glass and throwing away the discarded banana peel while she was at it.

 

“Damn. We had some evening, I guess.”

 

“Don’t forget the part where you kept hugging me and telling me you loved me and were sorry I almost got beat up for you while we were in the back of the car - that was a highlight, for sure,” Raven teases, feeling more relieved now that Echo has finally pulled herself together enough to listen to her.

 

“Well, I really do love you and I really am sorry you ran into trouble because of me. It isn’t great that Mystery Man kissed you to do it, especially because here we are with you confused about who your soulmate is, but it is lucky he was there to help you out. I hate to think what could have happened if you were alone in that hallway.”

 

Raven nods thoughtfully, sliding back into her seat. She can’t exactly be sorry about that kiss, even though it’s complicated things for her. It was easily the hottest kiss she’d ever experienced in real life, and only the memory of the kisses in her soulmate dream could rival it. She’s getting caught up reminiscing about it when Echo’s voice intrudes.

 

“So, I guess the question is… which one do you _want_ your soulmate to be?”

 

Lowering her head onto the table with a small thud, she wrestles with the question she’s been asking herself all morning. “I have no idea! I mean, I don’t really know either one of them. Finn was nice, he made me laugh and I liked hanging out with him in the short amount of time we were together. I was planning on calling him to hopefully set up a date, so there’s that. But it’s not like I know so much about him that he’s the clear choice… And then Mystery Man, as you called him… I mean, my god, I know even less about him!” Raven didn’t say it, but what she did know about him made her want to learn more. When she’d walked away from him the night before, she was sure she and her friends would be coming back to Arkadia, and she had made up her mind to look for him, knowing she wanted to see him again.

 

Echo, always one to ask the tough questions, poked a little harder, a sly smile on her face as she watched for Raven’s reaction. “Which one was the better kisser?”

 

A slight blush spreads over her cheeks, but there really was no contest. “Alright, obviously kiss number two knocked it out of the park, but it’s unfair to compare them. They were completely different kinds of kisses.”

 

“Maybe, but just so you know, when you were telling me everything that went on last night, you totally got a dopey look on your face when you talked about what happened in that hallway, FYI.” Echo accused, and Raven couldn’t deny it. “Anyway, maybe this won’t be as difficult as you think. You have Finn’s phone number, so you can call him and just find out if he had a dream last night too. And you know where Mystery Man works, considering he was in that employee area and the way he talked about the place. So you could go back there and find him again and ask him about it, too.”

 

“That’s true. Oh, but this is so not how I imagined finding out about my soulmate! Echo, this is totally your fault! I mean, I’m not some girly-girl who needs a romantic story, but what the hell am I going to say when people ask how it happened? Yeah, see, I was out drinking and kissed a stranger I met at the bar, and then my friend’s archenemy showed up and her gang chased me so I had to hide, and a random guy shows up to protect me, pretends I’m his girlfriend and he kisses me too. Of course that’s the night I have the soulmate dream, and I woke up the next day not knowing which one it was. It’s like I’m stuck in the role of Prince Charming or something, trying to figure out which man is the right fit.”

 

“Hell, Raven! That sounds pretty damn romantic to me! You should be thanking my fine ass for putting you through all this, because that’s the kind of soulmate story I’d want if I had one.” Echo looks glum for a moment, both of them knowing that she and Roan haven’t had their soulmate dreams yet, although they care about each other very much.

 

Raven sighs and squeezes Echo’s hand. “I know. I’m not sorry I found my soulmate last night, even though I’m complaining right now. And when I say it all out loud like that, it does sound kind of cool.” She laughs suddenly, and a flood of relief rushes through her. “You know, you’re right! I should be thanking you, otherwise my own fine ass probably would have stayed home last night! I suppose you’re worth the amount of trouble you put me through.”

 

“Good! Now keep that in mind while I go call Roan and place a bet with him on which one of these dudes you’re gonna end up with!” Echo dodges the crumpled napkin Raven throws at her, both of them laughing at the lightened mood.

  


*

 

Almost a week later, Raven’s feeling not quite as amused. The dream hadn’t happened again, which left her somewhat bereft, but she’d gotten up the nerve to call Finn after talking with Echo. They’d chatted a while and eventually she’d revealed that she had had a soulmate dream the night they’d met, but that someone else had kissed her after he’d left the club, so she wasn’t certain which guy it was about. It had embarrassed her, admitting that, because people in their society were trained to never kiss more than one person in order to avoid this exact situation, and she had been worried about being judged. But Finn seemed to take it in stride, sounding relieved that she’d confided about the dream first and then excitedly telling her that he’d had an amazing dream too. And it wasn’t that she had felt disappointed, it _wasn’t_ , she told herself. It was just that she needed to get to know him better. So they’d been out to dinner together twice since the phone call, and she did feel that pleasant hum in his company, and he did have a carefree way about him that sometimes made her laugh.

 

When she’d gotten back to their apartment after the second dinner, Echo had pounced on her, wanting to know if the sex was as good as in the dream, and Raven had confided that they had only kissed goodnight after each date, explaining that she wanted to try to get to know him better first. Echo had scoffed, stating that if she had met her soulmate, she certainly wasn’t going to wait very long before jumping his or her bones, and Raven had felt a little strange about it. She had always thought that’s how she’d feel about it too, that she wouldn’t want to wait, but now that it was happening, it was a different story. It was alright, really, to go a little slower, she knew that. She was enjoying learning about Finn and spending time with him, and if their kisses hadn’t quite lived up to her expectations yet, it didn’t mean that they wouldn’t - it just might take time for them both to feel really comfortable with each other. And if she was having trouble forgetting the other kiss from that fateful night, well, she was working on it.

 

So it was only with slight reluctance that she’d agreed to go back to Arkadia with Roan and Echo, with Finn joining them this time. Roan had wanted to go back since he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk with his owner friend since they’d left early last time, and Finn had been enthusiastic about returning when she’d invited him, saying that he liked the vibe and that it had been a lucky place since he’d met her there. He could certainly be charming, she’d agree to that, but sometimes his compliments seemed a bit much.

 

Finn had to work late, so he was meeting them there, and Roan hadn’t wanted another repeat of a drunk Echo leaving her car behind, so he came to pick them both up. They tumbled into his car, and Echo had grumbled mightily when Roan had looked at her expectantly and she’d slapped a fifty dollar bill into his palm. Roan had just grinned, but Echo turned around to the back seat where Raven was unsuccessfully trying to ignore their little bet.

 

“Tell me, Raven. You gonna be keeping an eye out for Mystery Man tonight?” Echo arches her eyebrow knowingly, but Raven’s prepared for her.

 

“There’s no reason to. If I see him, I see him. It won’t be a big deal.” She might not be able to lie to herself, but she’s pretty sure she can still convince Echo.

 

“Sure,” Echo agrees, and by the skeptical look she sends her, maybe Raven’s a worse liar than she thought.

  


*

 

The night’s going well, she thinks, and the second mojito is certainly helping. Echo’s been a lot more reserved with her drinks, not that she’s normally a heavy drinker anyway, but Raven has no doubt that last week’s hangover made an impression. The four of them are getting along alright, although Echo has been watching her closely all evening. Raven’s doing her best not to let her eyes roam around the club, and they don’t have the same trouble with service they had before, so no one has to go to the bar for drinks. A woman named Octavia has been waiting on them since they arrived, and she chatted with her a little about how much she liked the ambiance Arkadia offered.

 

“Oh, yeah. My boss hired a designer, but he has surprisingly good taste himself. Not that you’d know it by the way he dresses! When he first bought this building, it was mostly an empty shell, so it’s come a long way.”

 

Imagining the big space like that, it was even more impressive to see how far it had come. Roan had mentioned that he had known the owner since they were kids, but that his friend had been an Army brat with a father who got sent overseas, and he and Roan had reconnected in college. It was going to be awesome, having a place as nice as this one so close to her apartment, and maybe if this guy liked her and Echo, they could get on the VIP list even when Roan was busy and couldn’t come along, ensuring that they’d get a great table like this one all the time. She wasn’t above flirting to make a positive impression, though she wouldn’t want to make Finn uncomfortable.

 

All concerns about Finn fly completely out of her head though, when she sees Roan step out from behind the table to embrace none other than Mr. Mystery Man himself, and it’s all Raven can do to keep a neutral expression on her face as Roan introduces him as John Murphy, the club owner and his longtime friend, sharing that everyone always calls him Murphy and that they should do the same. Roan makes a point of presenting Echo as his girlfriend, and then Raven as Echo’s best friend and roommate, but he fumbles a bit when he gets to Finn and simply calls him Raven’s friend.

 

He recognizes her right away, of course, but he’s polite enough to follow the introductions, at least until they get to Raven. There’s no way to get out of shaking his hand, and the man actually has the nerve to announce that they’ve already met while he keeps her hand in his far longer than appropriate. Roan and Finn are unfazed by the comment, but Echo adds things up quickly and her eyes sparkle with mischief as she observes Raven struggle to keep it together.

 

Raven snatches her hand out of Murphy’s grasp and Finn seems to notice something’s going on. They all sit back down, Roan gesturing for Murphy to join them, and Finn’s arm goes around her shoulders in a preemptive display. Raven’s struck with an urge to shrug it off, but then feels immediately guilty at the thought. She forces herself to relax and listen to the conversation going on across the table as she tries to ignore the fluttering in her stomach when Murphy’s gaze keeps meeting hers.

 

There’s a brief lull in the discussion at the table, and Raven knows with every fiber of her being that trouble is coming when Echo speaks up. “You know, Murphy, it’s my fault we didn’t get to meet up with you last week. I had a little too much to drink…” Both Roan and Raven interrupt with a laugh, and Echo scowls at them before continuing. “Anyway, a little, a lot, it doesn’t matter. The end result was that I got Raven in a bit of trouble and we all had to leave early. The good news is that while we were here, Raven met her soulmate. So I guess you could say it was because of your club that it all came together.”

 

She doesn’t know how to read the expression he gives her when he glances at her and Finn, and Raven doesn’t understand why she feels so confused about her feelings when all her life, she thought that finding her soulmate would mean finally feeling secure and confident that the relationship was the right one. She fiddles with the straw in her drink and silently curses Echo for stirring the pot.

 

“Is that so?”

 

It’s Finn who answers him, with a little squeeze to Raven’s shoulder. “Yeah, it’s so funny how it’s always when you least expect it, just like they say. We met that night and hung out, but I was with some friends and had to leave. I had no idea that when I kissed her goodbye that it would be her. But then she called me the next day and admitted she’d had the soulmate dream, and even though I was nervous, she made me feel like I could be honest and tell her that I’d had the dream, too. And now here we are, perfect for each other. Isn’t that right, Raven?”

 

Why she feels like a vise is closing around her, she doesn’t know, but she nods weakly at Finn’s question, and has to blink back sudden tears as she notes the look of concern on Echo’s face. She’s about to excuse herself to the restroom for a moment alone when Murphy stands up from the table and waves a finger somewhere behind her. He halts right in front of Finn, who was sitting directly across from him, and yanks him up by the center of his shirt. There’s a menacing look in Murphy’s blue stare, and Raven has no idea what’s happening. Roan and Echo are looking on, equally confused, but Finn just looks smug.

 

“That’s a nice story, Finn. But here’s the thing. You and I both know you’re a fucking liar. The only reason I’m not gonna kick your ass right now is because I might just kill you in the process.” Two bulky men appear, presumably at his behest, and Murphy quietly speaks to them in a calmer voice. “Take him out of here and I don’t ever want to see him come back.”

 

“Raven! I don’t know why he’s doing this! I’m your soulmate, tell him!” Finn looks agitated at the same time Raven’s getting a dawning understanding and things are finally beginning to make sense.

 

“You bastard! You lied to me, didn’t you? What kind of sick son of a bitch lies about being someone’s soulmate?”

 

Knowing the charade is over, Finn shrugs as best he can while being held by the two stocky bouncers. “To get in your fucking pants, that’s why! And I would have gotten away with it if not for this jackass. How the fuck did he know I was lying?”

 

Her hand shoots out and before she has a chance to think about it, she slaps him hard across the face. Her palm burns, but she’s glad it leaves a red welt behind. “He knows because he’s the other person who kissed me that night, dumbass!”

 

As discreetly as possible considering Finn’s thrashing around the whole way, the bouncers drag him to the exit of the club. Raven’s genuinely stunned at what’s just happened, and no sooner has she dropped heavily down to sit on the edge of the cushioned bench than Murphy grabs her hand and pulls her back to her feet.

 

“You and me need to talk,” he tells her, and then turns to Roan. “I’ll bring her back eventually.”

 

Echo’s laughter rings in her ears as she hears her friend demand that Roan pay back her fifty along with what he now owes her, but she can’t spare too much space in her brain for what they think about all this when she’s still feeling dazed about it herself. Murphy winds her through the crush of people, and he opens the same employee door she went through when she first met him. They pass the exact spot in the hallway where he kissed her, and relief for what she’s just escaped washes through her so strongly that she almost stumbles. He pauses to unlock another door, and as soon as they’re both through it, he’s on her, nudging her back against the flat surface at the same time he twists the lock.

 

His mouth on hers is exactly like she’s been remembering, hot and intense and exactly like it should be. She was stupid to think that the agreeable but boring kisses Finn gave her could ever lead to anything like this. Nothing could be like this, just him, and with his hands slipping under her shirt and her breasts squeezed tight against his chest, it seems so obvious that he was the one she had dreamed about. When he gets her shirt off and his fingers brush over her silk-covered nipple, it’s enough to send her head banging back against the door with a low moan of desire.

 

“Say it right now if you want me to stop,” he demands, and the very idea that she’d prevent him from doing whatever he wants to her is ridiculous.

 

“God, no! Just hurry!” He smiles into her neck and sucks up her jawline, unzipping her skirt in the process. When she’s standing against the door in only her pink bra and panties, he pulls back just enough to look at her. The hungry gleam in his blue eyes makes her shiver, and she reaches a shaky hand towards the buttons on his shirt. She only manages to get three undone before he wraps his hands under her thighs and picks her up, spinning around to walk her over to a desk in front of a window. The blinds are closed, but there’s enough ambient light filtering through to see that the desk is covered in paperwork. He lets go of her with one hand and sweeps it all onto the floor before setting her down on it. Much faster than her, he gets the remaining buttons finished on his shirt and she’s quick to rub her palms up and down the bare skin that’s uncovered. Their hands linger and explore everywhere, and she knows she’s never going to get enough of touching him. This, this feeling was what she was looking for, the one that tells her she belongs here, to him, and that he belongs to her in return.

 

The clasp on her bra releases, and Murphy slides it gently down her arms. She leans forward and unhooks the belt at his waist, but just as she gets the zipper down, his hand clamps around her wrist, halting her from moving it along his cock. He holds her still as he kicks his pants off, his shoes toed off somewhere near the door, and now that they’re both only in their underwear, she’s so impatient she could scream. It’s never been like this, where she just wants to give every part of herself to him and surrender completely. She’d be scared at her reaction if it didn’t feel so right to let go and trust her soulmate.

 

“Lay back.”

 

She does as he asks, her knees hanging over the end of the desk, her back horizontal against the hard top. He takes both her hands and lifts them up over her head, leaning between her knees to capture her mouth again. Her lips are swollen from the intensity of his bruising kisses, but it’s so, so good to let him be a little rough and possessive. She’s feeling that way too, and lifts her hips, yearning to rub herself against him, but he takes one hand off her wrists and trails it down her arm, her breasts, her stomach, until it reaches her right hip and he grips her there, stilling her movements. His mouth sucks over her jaw and down to her ear, and a shudder goes through her when his hot breath ghosts over the sensitive skin.

 

“Not yet. Will you let me do this my way, let me have control?”

 

Hell, he could ask her to go with him to rob a bank right now and she’d probably say yes. Raven’s not normally so docile, so willing to please, but something about this connection makes her eager to do whatever he wants, aware that it goes both ways and that Murphy is just as weak now when it comes to her. It’s freeing, to let him have his way, so she nods impatiently, and he rewards her with nips and bites along her neck as his head crosses over to her other shoulder.

 

“Keep your hands up here, just like this.” She obeys when he lets up the pressure on her wrists, and his mouth and left hand drift down to her breasts, making her whimper, but it turns into a loud moan when his right hand delves between her legs to massage her over her panties. He suckles on her nipples, giving each equal attention, and she wants so badly to tangle her fingers in his hair and hold him to her as she strives to follow his orders and not disappoint him. There’s no way she can resist bucking her hips up when he slides his finger underneath the edge of her panties, though, no way at all. He doesn’t seem to mind, kissing back up to her neck as his finger slithers through her folds, spreading the liquid heat all around before slowly, slowly inching inside her. It’s everything and not enough at the same time, and she’s just about to beg him when the low growl of his voice is at her ear again.

 

“Tell me you didn’t let him touch you.”

 

“No, no, I couldn’t,” she shakes her head, breathless at the way he’s snuck another finger into her panties to torment her. “He only kissed me goodnight.” He bites her earlobe into his mouth at that, swirling his tongue around before he speaks once more, and she has to fight to hear him through the roaring of the blood in her veins and the harsh panting she’s doing as he works the second finger inside her and pumps in and out faster.

 

“No one’s going to touch you like this but me.”

 

Her panties are drenched, have been that way since before he sat her on the desk, but the wave of lust that crashes through her at his aggressive words makes her dizzy. Jealousy has never been one of the things to get her going, but when he says it, it’s something else entirely.

 

“No one’s ever going to make you come but me.”

 

He’s got a hand tilting her head to the side as he makes the hushed vow, and the sting of his teeth on the column of her neck is enough to push her right into a powerful orgasm. Her legs tremble over the side of the desk as he soothes the bitten skin with his tongue, his fingers combing through her hair as he cradles her head. She’s gasping like a fish out of water, her fingers and toes curling uncontrollably, but as she comes down from the waves of pleasure and he kisses her ravenously, she knows he doesn’t intend for her to rest.

 

Murphy straightens, his fingers easing out of her slowly and there’s a sudden chill without the warmth of his body covering her. He looks down at her with that possessive look in his eyes still, and she wonders how she appears to him, with her hands stretched above her and wrists crossed, naked except for her pink panties and probably flushed from head to toe. Raven hopes she’s as enticing as he is to her, but before she gets much chance to ogle him, he lifts his fingers to his mouth and sucks them clean, and her brain fizzles as a whine escapes her throat. His hands go to the waistband of her underwear then and with a strong yank, they’re down her legs and off, and he hooks his elbows under her knees to drag her ass to the edge of the desk. Kneeling in one smooth motion, he lifts her legs over his shoulders and his mouth is on her pussy so fast she feels faint. She gives up on his order to keep her hands above her head, bringing them down to skate through his hair like she’s been needing to, and oh, what he’s doing to her. There’s sparks under her skin and fireworks behind her eyelids, and she can’t contain the noises she makes any more than she can control the flow of slick he’s coaxing from her.

 

She’s so close, she’s going to come again, and his forceful hands hold down her hips as he devours everything she gives him, and it’s better than the dream, more than the dream, because it’s not just sensation or physical feeling anymore, it’s a raging storm of emotion that builds inside her and just explodes into a connection between them. What she feels for him is already so big, so overwhelming, and the thought that he feels this way about her too is what tips her this time. She shouts his name, with everything fierce and tight and then it snaps and loosens.

 

Raven must lay there, shaking for a little while and in her own world, because when her eyes open again, Murphy’s naked and rummaging through his wallet, and she realizes he’s looking for a condom. She sits up, tremors still wracking her body, and reaches for him. He lets her dominate the kiss, and she throws herself into it fully, wanting him to feel everything inside her. They’re both panting when he draws back, and he moves to continue his search, but she winds her arms around his neck to stop him.

 

“I have a clean bill of health and I’m on the pill. Unless you have any issues we need to work out, we don’t need it. I want to feel you inside me without anything between us, can we do that?”  


“Wrap your legs around me,” he whispers, and the way he’s watching her makes her want to melt into a puddle. He picks her back up and walks her over to a couch on the wall by the door, something she’d completely missed before. It’s comfortable, wide enough for sleeping, and he comes down after her, nudging between her thighs and throbbing hard and hot against her.

 

“Don’t make me wait,” she pleads, her hand wrapping around the satiny length of him and guiding it to her cunt. Murphy captures her mouth at the same time he surges forward, swallowing her sobs of pleasure as he fills her completely for the first time. There’s no thinking, no awareness outside of the thick cock thrusting inside her and the sultry pleasure it builds deep in her belly. He keeps kissing her, his tongue licking every crevice and adding to her mindless state. It’s so good, so unrestrained and fiery she almost can’t stand it, and she twists her mouth away to take a gulp of air while his lips move down to her neck.

 

“Please...more, please, please,” she babbles almost incoherently, and he fucks into her harder. She’s never going to last, can’t believe she might come from his cock alone, and her hips stutter wildly against his.

 

He licks along the shell of her ear, already well-versed in how it affects her and makes her ache, never letting up as he pounds into her core with unrelenting, heavy strokes. “You belong to me now, don’t you? Say it, Raven. I want to hear you say it before I make you come again.”

 

“Fuck, yes...yes! Yours, Murphy, yours!” She’s hysterical now, almost wailing, and it’s as though he reads her mind, because he does the exact thing she needs to make her clench down tight around him, fluttering around his cock as her body writhes helplessly against his in bliss. He pushes her knee up, going as deep as he can before he quickly spasms inside her, a long, loud groan torn out of him.

 

Their bodies are damp with sweat, and Raven feels like she might never move again. Murphy slides his hand under her back and somehow rolls them enough so she’s lying on top of him, no longer crushed under his weight. Fingers searching the back of the couch, he pulls a blanket over them, and Raven shivers a little as it warms her. She tucks her head into his shoulder and acknowledges to herself that she’s a different person now. He’s changed her, in just this brief window of time, and she wouldn’t take it back for anything.

 

“That was better than the dream,” Murphy tells her, placing a kiss on her head and hands gliding over all the naked skin he can reach, “and that’s saying something.”

 

“Mmm-hmm,” she agrees, and she wants to say more, but she’s so tired and just wants to fall asleep with the scent of him surrounding her. There’s something she has to explain, though, so she fights through a yawn. “I’m sorry I didn’t know it was you right away. I never saw a face in my dream. And while it was nothing like the way you kissed me, that night I had already kissed someone else before we met. So I didn’t know. I had his name and phone number but not yours. It never occurred to me someone would lie.”

 

His arms wrap tight around her back. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. We found each other now, and nothing matters more than that.”

 

There’ll be time tomorrow to tell him he’s right, that already nothing matters to her more than he does. The stories were true. When it happens, you just give yourself over to it completely, because you just know. Her story’s a little different than she expected, but they do all begin the same. And someday, that’s the story she’ll tell her own children - it started out with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> I had a good old time challenging myself with my first Kink Meme participation, so you can expect more Murven stories I wrote for this cycle. I'm tidying them all up, checking for typos and will be posting more. And some of them I will be adding to because holy cow, they need a sequel! And yes, I got sucked into the Kink Meme and it took me away from my WIP, but I still swear I'm getting back to that soon!


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